Fifteensquared – Page 1392 – Never knowingly undersolved

Guardian 25,260 / Boatman

Thu March 3, 2011 at 1:36 pmThu March 3, 2011 at 9:45 am by Eileen

Boatman is another setter who doesn’t appear often enough for me [it’s almost three months since his last appearance]. We would normally expect a challenge and this puzzle is no exception. Boatman often … Read more >>

Financial Times 13,632 / Phssthpok

Thu March 3, 2011 at 3:59 am by smiffy

This one of those puzzles that appeared quite daunting at first pass, but ended up being plainer sailing than initially feared. Mr/Mrs/Ms Phssthpok can usually be relied upon to inject more than their … Read more >>

Financial Times 13,623 / Mudd

Thu March 3, 2011 at 12:10 am by Agentzero

Financial Times Prize Puzzle of 21 February A typically creative and clever puzzle from Mudd. I liked the way the surface sense of the words making up the wordplay fit in with the … Read more >>

Financial Times 13,622 by Cincinnus

Thu March 3, 2011 at 12:48 amThu March 3, 2011 at 12:01 am by Pete Maclean

Prize puzzle from the Weekend FT of February 19 Cincinnus spoils us with two of his typically wondrous anagrams this time, 21A (TURNSTONES) and 3D (SAN MARINO). I also applaud 8A (REMAINS), 11A … Read more >>

Independent 7,605/Dac

Wed March 2, 2011 at 1:17 pm by Ali

Wednesday = Dac = it’s all good. Some tricksy Down clues in this one I thought, but everything perfectly justifiable and well put together as ever. Across 1 SLIP-UP – PUPILS rev. 5 … Read more >>

Financial Times 13,631 by Gozo

Wed March 2, 2011 at 9:19 pmWed March 2, 2011 at 11:30 am by PeeDee

Gozo again proves himself to be a master of the grid, all the across solutions are Shakespeare characters, and they combine to make some great anagrams. Unfortunately, inventive as the format is, the crossword … Read more >>

Guardian 25,259 – Chifonie

Wed March 2, 2011 at 8:35 amWed March 2, 2011 at 12:40 am by Andrew

Typical Chifonie fare here: pleasant enough, and soundly clued, but not much of a challenge, with lots of very obvious clues that wouldn’t be out of place in the Quiptic, and a preponderance … Read more >>

Inquisitor 1165: A Favourite Poem by Phi

Wed March 2, 2011 at 12:05 am by duncanshiell

The preamble stated that the puzzle is based on of Phi’s favourite poems. The poem features a recurrent phrase, which explains the entry of one normally clued answser. The phrase is connected in … Read more >>

Independent 7604/Raich

Tue March 1, 2011 at 10:33 pmTue March 1, 2011 at 9:53 am by John

A very pleasant crossword from Raich today. It took a while to get started because of all those clues that refer to some other clue, and none of the Across clues fell at … Read more >>

Financial Times 13,630 / Neo

Tue March 1, 2011 at 4:07 am by Agentzero

A delight from Neo. What impressed me today was how Neo managed to devise such misleading wordplay and fit it so neatly into the surface reading of the clue. Across 1 ALHAMBRA H[earts] … Read more >>

Guardian 25258 Crucible – Bravo! Maestro

Tue March 1, 2011 at 3:07 am by Uncle Yap

What a tour de force by Crucible. I was thoroughly tested by several ingenious cryptic devices composed around the Musical Greats. Alas, not only did I have to solve them, but also to … Read more >>

Independent 7603 by Radian

Mon February 28, 2011 at 12:29 pm by nmsindy

Tough puzzle today from Radian, solving time 48 mins. All over the clues the phrase “1 of 20” appeared. Thought that when I cracked 20 after about 10 minutes, the rest of the … Read more >>

Guardian Quiptic No 589 by Orlando

Mon February 28, 2011 at 2:44 pmMon February 28, 2011 at 3:30 am by PeterO

Together with the Rufus, we have a veritable blizzard of double definitions today. Across 1. Where Marco Polo went in a yacht, wandering (6) CATHAY Anagram (‘wandering’) of ‘a yacht’. Cathay is an … Read more >>

Guardian 25,257 by Rufus

Mon February 28, 2011 at 2:17 pmMon February 28, 2011 at 2:35 am by PeterO

Nothing very demanding – notably heavy on double definitions, and only a hint of a cryptic definition. Across 1. Influences or distorts the standard (7) COLOURS Triple definition. 5. Makes an entry, a … Read more >>

Private Eye/Cyclops 437 – Chirrupy Corgi

Mon February 28, 2011 at 12:15 am by beermagnet

I had trouble getting going with this puzzle. I read loads of clues before finally cold solving one with a definite answer at 6D, and then only had about a dozen answers in … Read more >>